, 1887-09-29
NATELLA.

glad, how very glad l am to see you.
Cousins, this is charming"
A tall young man courteously kissed
their hands.
The house was n mansion at the south.
"'Jetty, stop that whistling and run in
to nanny"
The prettiest little darky imaginable
laughed the %iolliest laugh, put his dusky
hands to the rich soil and began turning
somersHults out OF sight.
'tJetty, you Jetty," called Tantei but
the little woolly head, uumindful, spun by.
"Now, girls, come and linking her
arms in those of her two tall nieces,
Tante led the way through the great hall,
and up the wide staircase 70 their rooms,
where, with II parting kiss, she left them.
"TheOi'
The fair haired sister turned slightly,
"Theol'
Pauline dropped her gloves, hat, jacket
o. he sofa.
Are we dreaming"
T~houghtfuIly, Theo deity made a tight
bunch of her gloves, and with "A precision
worthy of herself tossed them direct in
the face opposite. 'I'm not, put perhaps
you are"
Pauline started. The words were
scornfully spoken. Moving over to the
window quietly, she rested her hands on
its ledge and leant far out. Her sister, in
the room, began hastily setting things to
rights.
The day was one of exquisite beauty.
The air, heavily laden with acacia sweet
ness, stirred but slightly. Pauline, wea-
rily brushing away her clinging hair as
one dreaming, rested motionIess at the
window Day was passing Into night.
The bushes, the trees, thlckly clustering,
dotted the large garden with their heavy
shadows. The thick foliage of the trees,
stirred by the slight breeze, rustled softly.
a great acorn leaf swept timOrously the
soft cheek pressed to the hard wood Of the
window, swept 1t again and again. The
old tree close to the house and shading
many of Its rooms, could, by stretching
far ont the long, slender branch, keep the
leaf tapping gently. The girls blue eyes
were opened wide, but she seemed to no.
tice nothing. The long Journey had tired
her unduly. She wa resting. A parrot,
she heard him chatter, chatter, tiresome
bird, in the room above. Acorns drop
ping, she heard them plainly, one, two:
two, one. Me birds everywhere were
singing, each a different song. What Il
rustlinB they did make among the leaYesi
Fighting-some five or six were busy at
1t, swirling in now great circles, then
small ones, and at each other. So close
they came to the head below them that
Wv go tA1s hAhoN hAAAI al INA ull
But still she moved not. The birds on
the ground beneath the window wildly
chirped as they pecked for worms. She
heard the slow, heavy tread of some one
walking through the grass. Looking
sharply, she saw plainly a powerful negro
coming to the house. "A slave'-she
breathed the word. He neared the house,
stopped and entered a side porch. A straw
hat drawn low over his forehead had kept
IGa E.-- 49, -g--v DE- -
knew 1t was a fine one. A figure, grace
full, slight, came hurrying by. Pauline,
leaning out still further, waited.
"Natellay"
The figure stood motionleSs. Tbs
shapely head moved eagerly from side to
side, then dropped. When, as a low note
of n bird, anne the words, ''pas mainte-
nant."
"Natella, look up! Here l am"
Pauline laughed at the fright, the sur
prise in the great eyes raised to hers. A
smile of wonderful sweetness was on the
red lips in n moment
"Ah, missy! Welcome' WelComer'
See, Natella, Tante had written so
much about you that | knew you at once.
You were not with the other servants
when we came?'
"No, missy, one of the p|ickaninnies
was sick and | staid with it. "
"Natella, is you comin'i'
Go on" Pauline said.
With n low bow of her head she turned
away.
Beautiful. She is far, far loveller than
/ had ever thought. A creolel n slavei
Can it be possiblef' She felt suddenly
chilled.
Under the window it was Harold she
now saw walking, with his long. easy
strides. lie was out of sight in a
But still she heard the sound Of his
spurs clinkinC, the whirling of his riding
whip, still saw the tiny light cleaning
like "A fire fly on his finger, and remem-
bered the ring with the the solitaire Taute
had given him recently.
Are you sick What is it, Pauline, do
you hear2''
Theo shook her roughly. Supper Did
you say It was ready9n But her sister had
left the room.
Hay | been dreaming, or what is it2 l
feel strange, strange"
She dashed the cold water from the
basin again, yet again, over her face.
"Homcsicks'' The laugh which fol-
lowed had a tremor in it. Pauline was
barely 10.
Down stairs, in the high ceiling dining
room, with its armor and stiff backed
chairs, seated at the table the family waited
" NJ IL HNIlNA was l'llE tllh llltllNs
Tante and Pauline talked together. while
Thee and Harold made the slender glasses
culver with the merriment of their laugh
ter. The low windows were opened wide,
and from her seat Pauline looked out at
the dark, moving bushes and saw the
stars cleaning sharp in the heavens. She
noticed as she sat more quiet han the
others-was she not the youngest Of them
all}-thRt the kind eyes of Tante rested
with n look of love on Theo and on Har-
old. she is thinking they will marry"
Pauline thought.
The supper was ended, and only too
soon the evening had Rone when the first
night in a southern land for these girls
from n distant cline, visiting the home Of
their father and his fathers, had passed.
Pauline and her sister, when mounting
the stairs 10 their room, were stopped by
their aunt, calling:
Girls, - she said, coming into the hall,
II have told Natella she is to wait on you;
so take her as your own You will find
she is useful.n
Tante smiled graciously. She had given
them her favorite maid. AS Theob blew out
her candle that night, some hours later,
BuekIen's Arnica snlye
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